Shoe tree



June 9, 1931.

A. R ANpERsoN Filed Nov. 14. 1929 Patented June 9,1931

UNITED STATES ARTHUR azANnEnsoN, or Nomar ARLINGTON, NEW JERSEY PATENT Nol-FlclI-:f-

sHoE TREE' Aliplieatien niea November 14, 1929. seriai No. 407,22g1l v n The present` invention ments in shoe trees.

relates t improve- More particularly: the invention relates to improvements in shoe'ftrees of the so called V full tree type embodying a toe section and a heel section unitedby an adjustable pivotal connection for *permitting adjustment be- Y the adjustable 'pivotal connection in such" i manner that considerable time Vand labor was entailed 'in thejconstruction thereof,'

thus resulting in a relatively' expensive shoe tree. i It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide ashoe tree which is simple in construction, easily adjusted and capable of being manufactured rapidly' at a relatively low cost. y

It is a further object of the invention to y provide a shoe tree of the so `called"full tree vtype embodying toe and heel sections havingY an adjustable pivotalconnection associated therewith and concealed 1in such manner as not lto effect the externall appearance ofthe tree and to render the adjusting device impossible of manipulation when pressingjthe tree in a shoe.

With these objects in view as well asu/others that will become apparent during the course of the following disclosure reference willv be had to the accompanying rdrawings forin-` in part of same and in which:

igure 1 is a top plan view -of the shoe tree in its shortest adjusted position. Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line 2 2 of j Figure 1 showing the heel. section swung outwardly in dot and 4dash lines. f

Figure 3 isA a transverse sectional view y on vline 3-'3 of Figure 2. 1

Referring toA the drawings' by reference characters in which like characters desigf` nate like parts, 10 designates the toe section and 11 designates the heel section which sections jointly'form thes'hoe `tree proper; .The toe section 10` isvof the general configuration ofthe toe portion of a shoeA and terminates at the rear end thereof in an inclined surface 12 at a point approximating the shank of theshoe which surface substantially abuts a similarly inclined front end' surface 13 of heel section 11 in the shortest adjusted position of the sections as'indicatedin Figures 1 and 2 thus providing afull toe and a full heel vsection in this position. The toesection 10 is provided with a plurality of longitudivnal slits 14 which notv only provide an ornamental appearance but also provide for'ventilation whereby a shoe may dry out should the'tree be inserted' therein when the shoe is damp.,Y The slits 14,'as will be nlore clearly seen from Figure 2, are formed by a` circular sawwhereby the slits may befformed with substantially little *time and'labor. i This is-70 an *important `factor in the manufacture of devices of this character which are sold at a relatively low price. 'A

The sections 10 andi 11 on the top thereof andadjacent the opposing ends are provided with arcuate surfaces 16 and 17 respectively, which, as indicated lin Figure 2, register in the abutted position of sections 10 and 11. Section`10 is provided with a slitte-V18 and sec tion 11 is provided with a slit 19inflongitudinal alinernent with the slit 18. t Slits 18l and 19` are also formed with a circular saw and in the construction thereof due to thel relatively small depth ofthe slits comparedV tothe combinedfle'ngth thereof it is' necesi-'9285 sary to move the sections longitudinally rela! tive to the saw4 axis thus providingea'n clone' I j gated slit composed ofslits 18 and 19 having the opposite ends thereof Vof arcuate formation corresponding to the circumference of -ao n the saw and a base portion on substantially greater curvature By forming'the slitsin this manner substantially little time `and ,laf

bor is Vrequired thus further contributing to. the production of an inexpensive shoe tree: 9

f The heel section Q11 is provided with a bore 21 extendingf-V through Vthe rearend thereof andl opening intoslit 19 adjacent the base thereof as indicated in Figure 2. Said bore may beformed in a convenientilillrn'el, 21S

Y will be obvious. A link 22 of a thickness substantially equal to slits 18 and'19 is pivotally wconnected at the forward end thereof on a `pin 23 which is driven through a transversely disposed bore 23 in section 10 extending ythrough slit 18. The rear end oi link 22 is reduced in width providing a substantially narrow guide section 25 slidably disposed in bore 21. They link 22`is provided with an elongated slot 27 having a plurality of longitudinally spaced circular recessesl26 opening i into said slot the recesses 26 and slot 27 providing for a range of'convenient adjustment between sections 10 and 11 aswell as providing for the mainte-nance of the sections in any adjusted position by the cooperation with recesses26 and slot 27 vofame'chanism about to lbe described.v

p Heel section 11 is provided centrally there"` of with a substantially small bore-29 intersecting. slit 19.y Said bore 29 mergesintoqan enlarged circularrecess 31 at one side of heel Y section'11 and into a larger circular recess 32 at the` opposite side of heel section 11. f A pin 33 is slidably mounted in*v bore Y29V andembodiesan intermediate section of reduced curedin position by riveting over extension 36 or in any otherdesired manner. #Accil spring 39 is interposed between diskplate 37 and the bottom of recess 32 for normally (holding head in engagement with thebase of recess 31and reduced section 34 of rpin 33-to` one side o''link- 22. In .the latter po-y sition the body portion of ypin 33is in engage- Arment'with one-of the recesses 26 otlink22.

T heshoe tree isapplied, when in an angular position, as indicatedA by fdot and'dash, `lines Ain Figure 2, whereupon heelsection .11-v

is pushed downwardlyinto the Vshoe [into 1 more orless tight-engagement therewith. .In

yorder ytof'con'veniently remove thetree it Iis.

provided' at'theheel section with suitable in'-v ger gripping'means which in accordancewith the present invention comprises a ring shapedA member 42 provided with outwardly turned linnerends 43 which are secured for pivotal movement between the 'top of section-11 and outwardly arched ears 44 formed, integrally f with or secured to a plate 45 which isattached 60. Ato section 11 by a screw 46. Ears 44 are provided with substantially long `extensions Y 47 Vone of which extends vertically in ian "aper- V"tu're'48 'on each side ofV slit r`19,thereby 'pro-j i vidingreinforcing means-whichtend to -ije-; I sistseparation-ot` the parts of heel section 11 Y on opposite sides of slit 19 andrbore21.v )Ac- `cordingly should the section 11 become broken in the plane of slit 11 and bore 21'due to the weakening vthereof by thev formation. ofV

said slit and bore the parts will still be maintained against separation by extensions 47.V

In operation of the device disclosed, sections 10 and 11 are adjusted to provide a re-` quired length to suit the particular shoe in whichthe tree is to be inserted, which adjustment is readily 'effected by pressing inwardly lwithy the thurnborV finge'rfon plate 37 against theeaction o-'spring139 thereby moving pin 3`3in bore 29 untilreduced section 34 is dis- Y posed in slit 19 which Vportion 34jbeing of a diameter slightly less lthan the width of slot 27 permits movement 'of'link 22 relative to in 33 as indicated by dot anddash lines'in .Figure 2,- and when link 22 has beenmoved a sutiicient distance to 4rprovide the required length oftree pressure on plate 37 is removed whereupon spring 39 will move .pin 33 to the position 'indicatedin Figure 3'with'the body of pin 33 in engagement withanother alined ,pair of recesses 26 thus'locking link .22 against .90 holding sections 10 and`11 in longitudinally" longitudinal movement relative to pin 33 rand adjusted position.

. VIt will be seen that sections'lO'and are y provided witha pivotal connection on -pin 23 whereby section 11 may be moved outwardly, e.

asindicated by dot anddash lines in Figure f slice irrespective oftherelativeadj usted posi- `2,' forV permitting yinsertion ofthe tree'in a',

tions of the sections'and the inclined end survfaces 12 and 13 on the respective sections 1Q @and 11 Vpermit Lthispivotal ymovement even .When saidsllrfaces-are in Vcontact jor in' the shortest adjusted position of the .tree as indicated in Figures 1 and 2.r

means are completely. housed-withinthe secclosed,the tree is voidof any Vprojecting parts which might injure a shoe andv furthermore the ydisposition of the adjustingmeans with-` in sectionll. entirely vavoids any possibility of manipulation thereof while pressing the'V tree within a shoe as vplate 37 secured. to adjusting-y pin 3321s is clearly indicated in Figure 3'is normallyv disposed inwardly of' the mouth of recess32v at such a distance as -to avoidpressure engagement therewith by any portion of the shoe. 1

It will beseenrOm 'foregoing disclo- It is to be particularly noted that votal `connections and the VVentire adjusting tions 19 and 11 whichnot only'provides a v shoetree having axneat'external appearance but by thek dispositionV of the pivoting and.`

.adjusting means within Vthe .sections as dis- Y sure that a shoetree is'provided which `is simple. in constructionandis vcapablfeof being Amanufactured at a' minimumA cost and'thatthey A'sections embodied 1n the vtree areffconneoted for; pivotal' and` longitudinal movements by Ameans substantially, completely housed inthe sections and. that Lthesections are'forined for ations onthe material ofsaid sections withtion on each side of said slit and out Athe necessity of employing Vadditional openlng.

the reception of said means by simple operf which extendsV vertically into said heel secparts for accommodating said means, thus providing a shoe tree which can be manufac# tured at a very low cost by embodying few simple parts thus greatly reducing the liability o breakage and inoperativeness of the device. Y

While I have disclosed but a single specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be con- 1 sidered in all respects as illustrative only and not restrictive, the scope of the invention be'- ing indicated by the appended claimsk rather A'thereof disposed in said slit and pivotally secured to said toe section; the opposite end of said link movably disposed vin said guide opening; spring latching means in said heel section; said link provided with means for co-operation with said latching means for effecting longitudinal adjustment between said sections; and reinforcing means detachably secured to said heel section and entering same on either side of said guide opening. j

2. The combination defined in claim 1 in which said reinforcing. means embodies a plate; and finger gripping means pivotally secured to said plate. f

3. A shoe tree comprising toe and heel sections: said toe section provided with ventilating openings: said toe and heel sections jointly provided with a longitudinally disposed slit in the outer faces thereof; said heel ing apertures in the said body portion there-` of; spring pressed means in said heel portion cooperating with said apertures for eifecting longitudinal adjustment between said sections; and finger gripping means carried by said heel section comprising a loop-shaped member; a plate detachablysecured to said heel section and embodying ears between which and said heel portion saidloop-shaped Y member is pivotally disposed; said plate embodying substantially long extensions, one of said guide n testimony whereof` I aiiiz; my signature.

ARTHUR- R. ANDERSON. 

